Review: Schitt’s Creek “The Motel Guest” – I need my space!

When Roland and Jocelyn have a fight, Jocelyn tells him she needs her space. So he seeks refuge at the motel, where he creates havoc for the Roses. David is “offended” by Roland’s collection of undershirts hanging outside his motel room, and Johnny and Moira have their own fight over “needing space.” Even Alexis decides she needs her own space and checks out an apartment in “Lower SC.”

This is an episode about relationships and the frustrations that can happen when living in close – or even not so close – quarters, and how (in the words of Johnny Rose) our loved ones can “push every button” we ever had.

Johnny and Jocelyn work through their respective frustrations together, and Moira and Roland do the same. Their style of communication is a bit more down and dirty than Johnny’s or Jocelyn’s, but in the end they also help each other work through their frustrations and come to a place of forgiveness.

Alexis doesn’t take the apartment after hearing that someone killed themselves in it, and in his twisted brotherly way, David says, “I can almost guarantee you that someone’s killed themselves in this [motel] room.”

I enjoyed this episode. It was funny and sweet while showing another side of human nature. A side that can sometimes be a bit bitchy. And no one does bitchy better than Moira and David.

It’s no wonder that this show and this cast dominated the Canadian Screen Awards.

I love the idea of reviewing Canadian shows on a week-to-week basis, in fact I think we need more of it. It’s something that can strengthen the industry, contribute to the discussion, and ideally the growth of Canadian TV. That said, is it possible to have a genuine review and not simply a gushing recap every week?

Even the best TV shows have bad episodes, or missteps within episodes that are worth noting and discussing. This isn’t about being negative, it’s about thoughtful criticism and analysis. Not every single episode of any given TV show is acted masterfully and written brilliantly.

We need more people reviewing Canadian TV on a weekly basis, but they should be genuine reviews. Thoughtful, insightful, and deliberate. But a ‘reviewer’ who raves about every single episode is no different than a ‘reviewer’ who pans every single episode – they’re not very credible and very hard to take seriously.

Hi Bhoof, I do understand what you’re saying, and I agree that I am extreme in my love for the show. But I have no hidden agenda. I honestly do think the show, the writing and the acting is brilliant and worthy of praise. I have said in my reviews when I was disappointed or when I didn’t laugh as much, or if something was over the top.
Thanks for your honest feedback.
Kathleen